List of Medicare Replacement Plans
Medicare is a federally administered program, with most of its beneficiaries receiving benefits directly from the federal government. However, with the introduction of Medicare replacement plans (better known as Medicare Part C, Medicare+Choice or Medicare Advantage plans) in 1997, more people are deciding to receive their Medicare benefits through private health plans.
AARP MedicareComplete
AARP is an advocacy group for the senior adult population and is one of the most easily recognized and most respected names in eldercare. They teamed up with SecureHorizons and UnitedHealthcare to offer Medicare Advantage plans nationwide. MedicareComplete is available in five different packages: Essential, Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 3 and Value. Each plan is an HMO.
BlueCross BlueShield
BlueCross BlueShield is one of the largest insurance companies in the nation and its Medicare Advantage coverage does not operate in the rest of the company's shadow. BlueCross BlueShield provides coverage to 38 states, offering PPOs, HMOs, private fee-for-service plans, special needs plans, and cost contract plans through dozens of affiliate companies.
Bravo Health Medicare Advantage Plans
Bravo Health offers Medicare Advantage plans to those residing in the District of Columbia and most counties of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. Bravo Health has a wide range of plans available including HMOs such as Bravo Classic and Bravo Gold, PPOs like Bravo Freedom, private fee-for-service plans like Bravo Liberty and HMO-POS plans like Bravo Premier Plus.
Humana Medicare Advantage Plans
Humana offers four different types of Medicare Advantage plans in several areas around the country including Human Gold Choice (a private fee-for-service plan), Human Gold Plus (an HMO), Humana Choice (a PPO) and Medicare Advantage special needs plans for those on both Medicare and Medicaid or those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Plans
The Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Plan is an HMO available in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia. "U.S News & World Report" has said that Kaiser Permanente's Medicare Advantage plans are among the highest rated according the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, with an average rating of 4.07 out of 5 stars.
WellCare Medicare Advantage
WellCare offers several HMO plans and private fee-for-service plans. Most of their plans are designed for those who are dual eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare and works well with Medicare Savings Programs (a low-income subsidy program).
